Collapsible carriage.



0. s. SPOPFORD & P. WIJONAS,

GOLLAPSIBLE CARRIAGE.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 9, 1912.

4 .l. L w m J E w s e T F m d H m H n L p w I I a P I r L .41? l J. T 1

COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH Cm, WASHINGTON. n c.

G. S. SPOPPORD & P. W. JONAS.

GOLLAPSIBLE CARRIAGE.

APPLIGATION FILED SEPT. 9, 1912. v 1,086,736. Patented Feb. 10, 1914.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH 50., WASHINGTON, D. Cv

UNITED STATES PATENT GFFICE.

oIIEIsroriiEE s. sroEEo m AND FREDERICK vvM. JONAS, 0E sTUEe s, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNORS TO S'IURGIS STEEL GO-CART COMPANY, or STURGIS, MICHIGAN.

coLLAPsIBLE CARRIAGE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Original application filed Februaiy 5, 1912, Serial No. 675,412. Divided and this application filed September which the wheel supports are efiectively' carried 0r swung to and braced in their erected position.

Further ob ects, and objects relating to structural details, will definitely appear from the detailed description to follow.

We accomplish the objects of our invention by the devices and means described in the following specification.

The invention is clearly defined and pointed out in the claims.

A structure which is a preferred embodi v ment of our invention is clearly illustrated in the accompanying drawing forming a part of this specification, in which:

Figure I is a vertical longitudinal section of a structure embodying the features of our invention, portions of the wheels,

the handle and the back of the seat being broken away, Fig. 11 is an inverted view; with the wheels omitted, the rear portion, of the running gear frame and portions of the wheel spindles being broken away. Fig; III is a detail perspective view of one of the brace members 21 in its engaging ,posi tion. Fig. IV is a detail vertical section onf a line corresponding to line 161 of Fig. I.

Fig. V is a detail horizontal section on a line,

corresponding to line 5-5 of Fig. III. Fig. VI is a front perspective view of one of the brace members 21. v

In the, drawing, similar reference characters refer to similar parts throughout the several views, and the sectional views are taken looking in the direction of the little arrows at the ends of the section lines.

Referring to the drawing, the running gear fi'ame 1 is, in the structure "illustrated, formed of tubing bent into a U-shape. The handle 2 is secured to the rear end of the frame by pivots 3. g h

On each side of the running gear frame Serial No. 719,470.

are hangers 4 for the wheel supports 5. The wheel supports are pivotally supported by these hangers to fold or collapse under the frame and have downwardly projecting Wheel carrying arms 6 terminating in spindles 7 for the wheels 8. The wheel supports are provided with downwardly and inwardly projecting cams 9 arranged between the hangers 4.

A pair of levers 10 are mounted on the side bars by means of pivots 11 and project below theside bars to engage and coactwith the cam members 9 on the wheel supports. As the levers are actuated, the wheel supports are swung to collapse or erect the same. The levers are connected to the handle 2 by the links 12 so that when the handle is collapsed forwardly upon the running gear frame, the lower ends of the levers are swung rearwardly and acting upon the cams,

collapse the wheel supports under the running gear frame. Vhen the handle is swung to it's erected position, as, shown, the wheel supports are actuated. The details of these cam members form no part of our inven tion and we do not, therefore, further describe the same herein. As our invention does not relate to the structural details of the seat 13, and foot rest 14:, we do not describe the same in detail herein.

, The wheel supports are braced and the levers 10 locked in their erected position, thereby lockin'gthe carriage in its erected position by means of the brace members 15 which are pivoted 011 the running gear frame at 16, the upper ends of the braces being eX- tended rearwardly beyond the pivots. The braces 15 are connected by the links 17 to the levers 10, the links being connected to the levers by the pivots 18, and to the braces by the pivots 19. 'On the Wheel supports are forked clips 20 adapted to receive the braces when the parts are in their erected position. The locking and unlocking means for these brace members are described in detail and claimed in our application for Lettiers Patent filed .Feb. 5, 1912, Ser. No. 67 5,412, of which application this is a division. y V p v .T ra et e f o a m of th whels pports and to insure the complete erection of the same, even under such conditions as W e a P r of the. We gh of... t carria is allowed to rest upon the wheels during the erection thereof, we provide braces 21 which-are pivoted at 22 to the side bars of the running gear frame, in front of the front wheel support hangers 4. The upper ends of the braces project above the pivots 22 and are connected by the links 23 to the actuating levers 10, the connections being through the pivots 24 which are disposed below the lever pivots 11. The pivots 18 for the links 17 being above the pivots 11, the rear braces 15 are swung rearwardly out of the way of the wheel supports when the handle is swung forwardly to collapse the carriage, while the braces 21. are swung forwardly out of the way of the forward wheel. hanger arms of the wheel support. The braces 21 are provided with rearwardly facing U-shaped clips 25 which embrace the arms of the wheel supports as shown when the carriage is erected. The brace members 21 are also provided with earns 26 which terminate in these clips so as to guide the arms into the brace clips in the event that they are not carried to posit-ion by the actuating levers and cams. The braces are connected by the cross piece 27 which engages the downwardly projecting ears 28 thereon. This arrangement of parts prevents the wheels getting out of alinementand further the carriage is able to sustain very heavy loads.

We have illustrated and described our im' provements in detail in the structure in which they have been embodied. We are .aware that our improvements are capable of embodiment in other structures, but as we believe the disclosure will enable those skilled in the art to apply our improvements as conditions dictate, we have not attempted to illustrate or describe the various modifications possible. We desire, however, to be understood as claiming the same specifically in the form illustrated as well as broadly within the scope oft-he appended claims.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a collapsible carriage, the combination with the running gear frame, of collapsible wheel supports formed of rods having their ends bent downwardly to provide depending wheel carrying arms; hangers on which said wheel supports are pivotally mounted to collapse under the running gear frame; cams on said wheel supports disposed between the wheel support hangers; levers pivotally mounted on said running gear frame to coact with said cams; braces pivotally mounted on the side bars of said running gear frame in front of the front hangers, said braces being provided with outwardly projecting rearwardly facing U-shaped clips adapted to engage the front wheel support arms and with cams extending from said clips; .and links connecting said braces to said actuating levers, the links being pivoted to said actuating levers below their pivots and to said braces above their pivots, whereby the braces are disengaged from said arms and swung forward out of the path thereof when said levers are actuated.

2. In a collapsible carriage, the combination with the running gear frame, of collapsible wheel supports formed of rods having their ends bent downwardly to provide depending wheel carrying arms; hangers on which said wheel supports are pivotally mounted to collapse under the running gear frame; cams on said wheel supports disposed between the wheel support hangers; levers pivotally mounted on said running gear frame to coact with said cams; braces pivotally mounted on the side bars of said running gear frame in front of the front hangers, said braces being provided with outwardly projecting rearwardly facing U-shaped clips adapted to engage the front wheel support arms; and links connecting said braces to said actuating levers, the links being pivoted to said actuating levers below their pivots and to said braces above their pivots, whereby the braces are disengaged from said arms and swung forward out of the path thereof when said levers are actuated.

3. In a collapsible carriage, the combination with the running gear frame, of collapsible wheel supports pivotally mounted on said running gear frame to collapse under the same and having depending wheel carrying arms; cams on said wheel supports; levers pivotally mounted on said running gear frame to coact with said cams; braces pivotally mounted on the side bars of said running gear frame, said braces being provided with rearwardly facing U-shaped clips adapted to engage the front wheel support arms and with cams extending from said clips; and links connecting said braces to said actuating levers, the links being pivoted to said actuating levers below their pivots and to said braces above their pivots, whereby the braces are disengaged from said arms and swung forward out of the path thereof when said levers are actuated.

4. In a collapsible carriage, the combination with the running gear frame, of collapsible wheel supports pivotally mounted on said running gear frame to collapse under the same and having depending wheel carrying arms; cams on said wheel supports; levers pivotally mounted on said run ning gear frame to coact with said cams; braces pivotally mounted on the side bars of said running gear frame, said braces being provided with rearwardlyfacing U- shaped clips adapted to engage the front wheel support arms; and links connecting said braces to said actuating levers, the-links being pivoted to said actuating levers below their pivots and to said braces above their pivots, whereby the braces are disengaged from said arms and swung forward out of thedpath thereof when said levers are actuate In a collapsible carriage, the combination with the running gear frame, of collapsible wheel supports pivotally mounted on said frame to collapse under the same and having depending wheel carrying arms; means for erecting said wheel supports comprising levers pivotally mounted on said running gear frame; braces for said wheel supports having cams thereon adapted to act on said arms and provided with clips at the ends of the cams adapted to receive said arms; and links connecting said braces to said levers.

6. In a collapsible carriage, the combination with the running gear frame, of col lapsible wheel supports having wheel carrying arms; braces having cams thereon adapted to act on said arms and provided with clips at the ends of the cams adapted to receive said arms when the wheel supports are in their erected position; and means for actuating said braces on the erecting of the carriage.

7. In a collapsible carriage, the combination with the running gear frame, of collapsible wheel supports pivotally mounted on said frame and having depending wheel carrying arms at their ends, means for erecting said wheel supports, comprising levers pivotally mounted on said running gear frame and members coacting with said levers disposed between the depending wheel carrying arms, braces for said wheel supports having cams engaging said wheel carrying arms to assist in swinging the same to erected position, and connecting links for said braces to said levers.

8. In a collapsible carriage, the combination with the running gear frame, of 001- 5 lapsible wheel supports having depending wheel carrying arms, actuating means for erecting and collapsing said wheel supports, and braces having cams thereon engaging said arms when the means for erecting the carriage are actuated to assist in swinging the arms to their erected position, said braces being operatively connected to said actuating means, said cams being provided with clips adapted to engage the arms when the supports are in their erected position.

9. In a collapsible carriage, the combination with the running gear frame, of collapsible wheel supports having depending wheel carrying arms, actuating means for erecting and collapsing said wheel supports, and braces having cams thereon engaging said arms when the means for erecting the carriage are actuated to assist in swinging the arms to their erected position, said braces being operatively connected to said actuating means.

In witness whereof, we have hereunto set our hands and seals in the presence of two witnesses.

CHRISTOPHER S. SPOFFORD. [1,. s.] FREDERICK WM. JONAS. a 5.

Witnesses EVA M. PARKER, J. W. BENNETT.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, I). C. 

